"There's a higher sense of urgency now that you're coming to the end of what is a relatively long journey," Menzel said. "I look at it as being in the last 200 yards of a milelong race and now I want to sprint."

He spent Sunday afternoon contacting undecided voters who have the potential to swing election results by going door-to-door and calling them at home.

Mark Evenson, a Rolling Meadows alderman and Menzel's opponent, was targeting neighborhoods he had not yet reached for his door-to-door walk Sunday.

"My feet are tired," said Evenson, who estimated he still had about 4,000 to 5,000 homes to cover.

Palos Park Mayor Donald Jeanes began his day knocking on doors and introducing himself to voters and planned to end the day working at a phone bank and answering voters' last-minute questions.

"I'm glad that it's winding down," Jeanes said. "I enjoy being mayor and the job I'm doing, but I don't enjoy this part of it."

But Jeanes, who is opposed Tuesday by Village Commissioner Jean Moran, said he does like having the chance to talk to residents and hear their concerns.

"Unfortunately people often keep stuff inside them," he said.

Though they didn't stop campaigning entirely on Sunday, some candidates took time to rest and give voters a break from campaign issues.

"Today is not a day to do heavy campaigning," said Highland Park Mayor Ray Geraci who is seeking re-election in a tight battle against former Mayor Daniel Pierce. "Today for me is genuinely a very quiet day because I don't believe in intruding on people on Sunday."

Geraci said he did plan to call a few friends Sunday afternoon and greet people at a few city restaurants and the public library.

Pierce began his day greeting residents outside downtown coffee shops.

"I started today outside on Central Avenue in Highland Park in the cold, wet rain talking to people getting their morning coffee and bagels," said Pierce.

Pierce attended two neighborhood coffees Sunday afternoon before heading door-to-door later in the day.

"It was a good place to be because there are lots of people who use the store on a Sunday," the retired accountant said. "I'm hearing some wonderful remarks."

Though he planned to stop by a phone bank calling voters in southern Naperville Sunday afternoon, Mayor George Pradel said his day was primarily devoted to his family.

"I personally think that people like their Sundays not to be involved with people calling about politics," Pradel said. "I respect that and honor that and hope I've done enough in the weeks preceding this."